Dortmund defender Süle's contract will expire at the end of this season. German media sport1 said that his current playing order in Dortmund has dropped, which also implies that he has no future in the Yellow and Black Army.
During Dortmund's tough away win over Augsburg last weekend, Süle did not even accompany the team. The centre-back rested and stayed at Dortmund, but this was not because of his current role, but as coach Kovac revealed, more because of his "swollen big toe."
Despite this, it seems that Süle has slipped down the pecking order at Dortmund's centre-backs. With his contract set to expire in the summer, the question is: does Süle still have a future at Dortmund? Or has his farewell tour already begun?
In the new podcast "Dortmund Weekly", SPORT1 reporter Manfred Sedlbauer said: "Süle is currently the fifth central defender. Schloterbeck, Anton, Bensebaini and even Anselmino are currently ahead of him."
This reporter used Dortmund's cup starting lineup against Frankfurt to prove his statement: Although Bensebaini was absent, Kovac did not use Süle who was in good physical condition, but chose the new aid Anselmino who had been injured for a long time.
For this employment decision, Kovac explained: "Anselmino fought a lot of confrontations and won them. I just wanted to be more aggressive on the court because I know Frankfurt is very good at playing behind the ball and has a fast player like Knauf. Therefore, I want to send someone who is full of fighting spirit. And Anselmino is a real tough guy, that's what I'm thinking about."
The report also pointed out that Sule's contract will expire at the end of this season, and the two sides have not yet conducted any negotiations on a contract extension, and: Will negotiations really happen? Dortmund teammate Oliver Müller was skeptical and pointed out: "Salary is the biggest problem. From a market economy perspective, this has never really paid off."
Süle joined as a free agent in the summer of 2022. With an annual salary of more than 10 million euros, he is Dortmund's top-paid player. Oliver Müller said: "If they can remove him from the wage bill, they will have more financial space", and if Süle may renew his contract, he will also have to accept a huge salary cut.
Manfred Sedlbauer said: "Unless something completely crazy happens, such as several other players being injured, it will be difficult for him to really show himself again. It seems that he has already made his farewell trip to Dortmund."
In the game against Frankfurt, Anselmino was yellowed early in the first half. Kovac replaced Süle at halftime and praised him for "done very well." Kovac is actually very aware of Süle's abilities: As early as when the two were at Bayern, Süle was an important player under Kovac. People had hoped that he could return to the top under Kovac, but these hopes are slowly fading. Now, Süle's status has declined under Kovac, which has made it clear that the cooperation between Dortmund and Süle may not be sustainable.